We Do Logistics

When the design project is completed I think about all of the logistics that are involved. I love design and the feedback from my clients is very important. The most rewarding feedback is when I hear from my excited client that everything has been delivered and installed into their home. All of the work that goes into the selections, pricing and ordering, ends with the logistics of our White Glove Delivery Team. A great design project ends with great logistics.

Furnitureland South gives me and my clients the best Global  Logistics Team and Facilities in our industry. Our Logistics Team and Facilities are located onsite and are committed to satisfying my clients. That commitment allows me to focus on what I love, "Design".

Every item is unpacked and inspected and prepared for delivery to my client's home. Onsite is "Very Important".

We have Onsite State-of-the-Art Facilities. I can check any item, should there be any questions. Onsite is "Very Important".

I can talk to a real Customer Service person to resolve any questions in a timely manner. Onsite is "Very Important".

"All Smiles", that is what I want from my clients. You can say "Missy Loves Design" and "Great Logistics".

I would love your thoughts and comments,
Missy

Relationships and Design

I am so fortunate to have such great clients that have developed into wonderful relationships. This is the third home that I have designed for my client over the past 10 years. I wanted to share some of my thoughts about this latest project.

We began with the floor plan, and planning our space that allowed for family time as well as private time. This new mountain lake house requires many design considerations. Beautiful fabrics and leathers that are also kid and pet friendly is a good place to start.

The resources that we have available at our fingers tips at Furnitureland South made the task at hand fun and easy. Having only two days to pull the bulk of the project together, my client and I were on a mission. We selected the casegood pieces first, then onto the upholstery.

At Furnitureland South we see new products that are introduced at the High Point Furniture Market. Many times Furnitureland South will purchase entire showrooms, allowing for those new introductions to hit our floor sooner than other furniture retailers. 

                            

We both fell in love with the new collection from Artitalia called Cotone'. The finishes that Cotone' uses are fabulous. The ceruse technique combined with the zinc top is beautiful. Handcrafted in Italy with wonderful attention to detail and scale. We did a custom 66" diameter Dining Room table with a 5" border and a zinc center. It is going to be Awesome !

Please share your thoughts and Comments !

Missy Loves Design

Shades of Gray

                

I saw this wonderful old building painted in this color combination.  I started thinking about Gray and what colors really make Gray pop. First you have to understand that Gray has three undertones. The undertone are either Green, Blue or Purple.

Green Gray

A wonderful Green Gray that reads like a neutral is Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray HC-173. It is wonderful with Creamy Whites and Citron. Thinking about  Calcutta Gold Marble. Another  beautiful Green Gray is Benjamin Moore Pashmina # AF-199; which looks like ancient stone.

Blue Gray

One of my favorite Blue Grays is Benjamin Moore  Gray Owl # 2137- 60 and Farrow and Ball Light Blue 22. Farrow and Ball  Light Blue 22 looks fabulous with pink, rose, corals and red.  Mercury Glass, Zinc, and Carrera Marble works with this palette as well.

Purple Gray

For more of a Purple Gray Benjamin Moore has some wonderful moody deep colors in their Affinity Colors, # AF-585, # AF-590 and # AF-620. These colors can work well with pale grays, periwinkle, soft white and deep gray brown. Two other  soft colors are the Benjamin Moore Horizon # 1478 and Cement Gray # 2112-60,  both look fabulous with the Driftwood finishes that we are seeing on case goods right now. Pinks, blues and lavender will also work with these colors.

This building may be old but the colors are certainly up to date!

What is your favorite gray ?

Timeless Charleston Iron

I wanted to share this beautiful piece of iron work that I saw in Charleston, SC.  I am always amazed at the beauty and the attention to detail that has lasted the test of time. Clearly what was "in" during  the 1800's is still very current for today. There is something to be said for "Timeless Design". We all get caught up in the latest trends of today, which is great because it keeps us current. However, staying grounded in timeless design, creating a new twist on traditional will keep us as designers in a the game for many years to come. Some of my favorite inspiration comes from Hickory Chair, Suzanne Kasler, Thomas O'Brien. They took 18th century and made it fresh. 

Please visit my blog at Furniturland South and my facebook design page Missy Loves Design 

I would love your comments and thoughts.

Go Retro "It's Back"

Love this Mid Century Modern Hermes Leather Settee that is in the entrance of a home in Big Sur. Fabulous color and the custom Tibetan rug adds just the right amount of color. Understated elegance.

                            

This is a 1950's Retro Dining Table and Chairs that was used in the Guest House. The art, the fabrics, the wall color and the light fixture creates a perfect retreat. 

Great Retro chair for the Guest Room, updated with a fun fabric and a custom rug. The Mid Century Modern pieces creates a Fresh, Modern Appeal with, with a bit of Whimsical Style.

Here are some great resources for the Retro look Bellini Imports, East End Imports, Theodore Alexander the Keno Brothers.

I would love to get your comments and thoughts about "Retro".

"Help" for the Master Bedroom Retreat

"Help I don't know what I am doing", that was in the subject line of the Blackberry e-mail from my client along with a photo with various paint samples on the wall. My client, like many young professionals with hectic schedules, decided to get help with their master bedroom project. They had purchased a home on Lake Michigan and wanted to update the master and make it an "Intimate Master Retreat".

I explained that we needed to develop a plan to move froward and understand all elements required to make the right decisions. We would need a floor plan, photos of the existing space and any ideas they had about what they wanted for the end result. My client sent me several photos and a hand drawn room layout that gave me the information to do a scaled floor plan. The more information I can consider for a project, the better the end results. A great tool that I am now using is a customer e-design gallery that we can post photos and share information online; it works great for clients on the go. Great communications makes for great design and I keep everything related to their project for any future reference or additions.

My Clients told me that they wanted a Century Furniture fabric headboard and wanted the space to have a calm and soothing feeling. The headboard gave me a great place to start. We began by selecting the fabric for the headboard,which gave me the palate to select all the colors for the project. Next, I found the bedside chest from Lillian August for Hickory White. They were perfect, with a wonderful honed Carrera Marble top.

The walls are Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) and the trim is Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace (OC-65).  My client was hesitate about painting the trim, and I said "Trust me on this." The color combination gave my clients the calm soothing feeling they wanted.

I developed a rendering for the project. This gave my clients the visual they needed to see the completed room. I will be posting more photos once all of the pieces are in place. Everyone will have to keep following my blog to see the final "Intimate Master Retreat" on Lake Michigan.

Please contact me if you have any questions, thoughts or comments, I would appreciate your comments very much. You can contact me through my blog links or at Furnitureland South.

I would love to read your comments !

Inspirations for the "Baltimore Project"

See my inspirations for a fun new project for a client in Baltimore. Working at Furnitureland South located in High Point, NC gives me great resources, design inspiration and easy access. We see it first! 

It all started with a lamp

Add the fabric and you are off to a great start

This Vanguard chair from the Michael Weiss collection. We will do white leather

Bungalow 5 fun place for inspiration

A pair white lacquered chest for the bedside

Grey and Citron colors

Fun Pillows from Ryan Studio

Trend setting colors at Global Views and other fun stuff

First Day of the High Point Market

                                          Nothing but Smiles for the High Point Market

"Dog Days of Summer" will be here again

I have been pricing lots of outdoor furniture lately and thought I would post this blog that I did last summer on the Furnitureland South Blog . The Dog Days of Summer will be here sooner than you think

Being from South Louisiana, I know the value of a soothing outdoor retreat.  When I am asked to design an outdoor space, I always remember the influences of growing up in the South and the time I spent on my grandmother’s screened porch. I remember the summer breeze coming through the screens and the relaxing motion of the ceiling fans. I also developed a love for summer flowers with their vibrant colors of yellow, white, pink and purple. These influences are timeless and will always be seen in my designs.

My clients wanted a timeless design created with modern materials. Their wish list included a couple of seating areas, a place for a cool drink and a snack, and a place to stretch out and read a good book. They needed durable materials that could handle entertaining, children and the weather. They also wanted to bring the same feeling out onto the patio. With plans to build an outdoor kitchen and fireplace, they needed furniture that could work now and also with future additions.

I selected Brown Jordan’s Fusion and Havana Collections for the sectional, chaise lounges and bar height table and barstools.  For a different texture, I added a pair of chairs from Woodard Langrave in cast aluminum and a stone top table with cast aluminum dining chairs from Brown Jordan. The fabrics, which are all from Sunbrella, are neutral, with accents in greens. To compliment the interior and exterior fabrics, we kept the florals in the purple tones with small touches of white.  The project turned out great, and as the flower beds and new outdoor kitchen have evolved, the furniture has worked perfectly with the homeowner’s needs and changes.

Let me help you with your Timeless Outdoor Retreat, Please Comment and give me your thoughts.

Thanks and Remember,
Missy Loves Design

Fabrics for Costal Retreat

Working with Vanguard Fabrics for a Coastal Residence on the North Carolina Coast. Spring is right around the corner and Summertime on the Coast is not far behind. Check out the Vanguard  Furniture for the new introductions. Vanguard added some new finishes that are great. Sesame, Milk Paint and Rye Grass are perfect for a cleaner look.

Thanks and Remember,
Missy Loves Design

Outdoor Furniture Inspiration

It is hard to get inspired about outdoor furniture, especially since we had snow flurries this week in High Point. When I need inspiration, I take a tour through our beautiful Showroom, over 1 million square feet, here at Funnitureland South and find lots "Inspiration". This grouping is by Gloster "The Havana Collection". Summer will be here before you know it !

Sneak Peak

It is so exciting to visit Ned White and his staff at www.thewindrose.net for a Sneak Peak before the High Point Market. The Market is April 2 to 7, High Point, North Carolina. Make sure to visit my friends at The Windrose, spaces 246-250 at the Historic Market Square.

Big Sur Concrete Furniture

  

Big Sur, California has a Big View and also has Big Wind. The concrete outdoor furniture in these photos is a great idea. The furniture is solid concrete with Sunbrella cushions that makes for a very functional and beautiful experience. "What A View"

I Love it and It's Perfect

I posted this blog earlier on the Furnitureland South Blog and I wanted to share it again on my blog Missy Loves Design.

There are many things that a designer likes to hear from their client. The top of my list is “I Love it and it’s Perfect!”

I had been looking for dining side chairs for my client. My client and her family are petite and it had been difficult finding a chair that was comfortable and the right scale for the room. She found her image of thePerfect Chair on the cover of the November 2009 issue of Traditional Home magazine.

I was attending one of Furnitureland South’s manufacturer training sessions at P.A.M.A. Manufacturing, a family owned and operated company, located in High Point, NC. During the training I spotted, in the corner of the factory, a worn and very used chair. There it was, thePerfect Chair!! I knew it as soon as I saw it sitting there. After the meeting I spoke to Ann Marie, one of the owners. She said that was her Mom’s chair, and it was there for repair. She went on to say that the chair had been “retired” many years ago from the line. I told her my story and she agreed to let me take the chair to show my client. My client said, “I Love it and it’s Perfect!”

Every designer can appreciate the feeling of excitement I was experiencing. I returned the chair to P.A.M.A. Manufacturing and spoke to Ann Marie about bringing this frame back into the line.

The decision was made to reintroduce the chair and you can see the results.